mounted police. i knew all that time watching dudley do right would pay off. thanks for being us with us this morning. >> we have a lot of news to talk about on this tuesday, april 23rd. first an arrest in canada, where two suspects are accused of planning a terror plot with al qaeda assistants. we'll tell you how investigators say they prevented an attack. raising the middle for cigarettes. why critics say bad idea. the suspect in the boston marathon bombings admitted to investigators, he and his brother were motivated by religion but says they were not in contact with overseas terror groups. dzhokhar tsarnaev has been charged with making weapons of mass destruction, making a court appearance from his hospital room, bed ridden, he was described as cooperative, forced to write his answers, yes or no.

all this as boston fell into silence at 2:50 p.m. to remember the 180 injured and three killed a week ago. joining frus boston, nbc news capitol hill correspondent luke russert. lou, where do we stand on this investigation this morning? >> reporter: good morning, bill. some fascinating developments over the last days of this suspect. you just mentioned right there he has become cooperative with investigators. he is still injured in the throat and tongue area. so he has not been able to speak. so he has been writing down his answers, essentially saying he and his brother acted alone. they were motivated by reledge just fervor. they have not had any contact outside the united states. they weren't operating from some terrorist cell abroad, essentially, penning it down to them being two lone wolves. some other interesting developments in that idea, how exactly were they able to figure out how to construct a bomb? well, they found that information out from the

internet, saying they were able to read things on certain websites that enabled them to put those those bombs that ended up injuring three people and injuring dozens upon others. investigators and officials close to them tell nbc news they are very much elated with the positive development they've gotten from the suspect. once he is able to speebl, they will really -- to speak, they will really figure out why this guy who is the high school captain of his wrestling team, who was very much liked by a lot of his teachers and fellow classmates who isn't like someone who is disenfranchised, what would motivate him to do this act? they feel they are getting there. certainly a positive development in the last 24 hours. >> in boston, itself, we are hearing the feds are turning over boylston street back over to the boston police department. what is under way there, when will it be opened to the public? >> that's right.

so it will be a five-stage process, you see right behind me is boylston there. there are dozens of businesses impacted, because it hasn't been opened because it's been a large scale crime scene. the city of boston has taken back that area. the first thing they will do is have environment am hazmat groups make a final sweep there, make sure there isn't any residue from the explosives. the other thing they will do is quite fascinating, they have to make sure the structural integrity of the buildings surrounding the bomb site has held up. the top of the bomb ended up on top of the lennox hotel. that's what shows you the striking power of what those two terrorists were able to create. so they want to make sure those buildings are okay. after that, they'll have a process for folks who left property there can come back and pick it up, get it. they're really trying for the folks to get that area back at least some semblance of normalcy in the next few weeks because a lot of folks could like to open

their businesses back up again and the community built for a few days, i'm guessing we like to go back there and take back boylston street. it will be fascinating thing to see. >> memorial, the weeks an months ahead will be a great thing, too, for the lives lost. thanks, luke, have a great day. >> reporter: take care, bill, always a pleasure. it's still unclear what impact the boston bombings will have on immigration debate in congress t. topic of national security is clearly playing a more prom thent role in the discussion. things got tense on capitol hill when senator chuck schumer sparred with chuck grassley about the future of the legislation. >> a few ways to improve the bill offer an amendment when we start markup in may. let's vote on it. i say that particularly those pointing to what happened, the terrible tragedy in boston as a, i would say, excuse for not

doing a bill or delaying it many months or years. >> i never said. i didn't say you did sir. >> i never said get i didn't say that. >> i don't know. >> mr. chairman, i don't appreciate your character of the witnesses that have come here. >> behavioral issues, earlier, senator patrick leahy opened the hearing with tough words for his republican counterparts. >> last weeks proponents exploit the boston marathon bombing. i urge restraint in that regard. refugees and asylum seekers have enriched the fabric of our founding. let no one be so cruel as to try to use the heinous acts of these two young bhen to derail the dreams an futures of millions of hard working people. >> well, a number of republican snores, including rand paul, are urging the reform process to be slowed in the wake of the

attacks, other members of the gop see it differently, among them the house speaker and former vice president presidential nominee. >> what about the immigration event. there is a lot of talk to sideline that movement. >> well, it may for a couple of days until they understand what our immigration system are known didn't they know, what impact this would have on it. primarily, i'm in the camp of if we fix our immigration system, it may actually help us understand who all is here, why they're here and what legal status they have. >> we have a broken immigration system. if anything, what we see in boston is that we have to fix and modernize our immigration system for lots of reasons, national security reasons, economic security reasons. for all those reasons, we need to fix our broken immigration system. two men have been arrested in canada, plotting a terror

case from al qaeda. the first of its kind in the country. the men who are not canadian citizens were reportedly conspireing a specific train route, which may have been destined from the u.s. the men have been unsurveillance for nearly a year. they are not believed to be an immediate threat. though they received instructions from iran, there is no evidence showing their backing was state sponsored. iran has, of course, denied any involvement. the impact of skwefrt cutbacks may finally be visible to the public. there are hundreds of flight delays. they were caused by high winds and the short staffing due to last month's budget cuts. that led to delays for nent minutes of arriving flights, that's about 10% of the faa's air traffic controlling work force were required to take an unpaid day off on monday. additional furloughs of tsa workers also lead to peak hour backups at security checkpoints. sticking with airport

security the tsa is postponing a rule change that would allow passengers to carry small knives on planes. the change is facing strong opposition from flight attendant and the air marshalls. the policy is being delayed so passengers, advocates and law enforcement experts can weigh in. the tsa plan to allow knives with small blades on planes starting this thursday. it would have been the first time they would have been back on passenger planes since september 11th, 2001. new york city at it again. it may become the biggest city in america to raise the legal age for buying cigarettes to 21. the city already opposes the highest cigarette taxes in the country. it also bans smoking in bars, parks and beaches while launching graphic advertising campaigns about the hazards of smoking. smokers of retailers say those restrictions are nannyish and bad for business. it aims at stopping young people

from developing a habit that is the leading causes of death. they say the measure would drive younger smokers to neighboring communities t. hearing on the proposal set for may 2nd. i have a funny feeling joe and mika will have more to say about that story. the folk singer guitars who opened the woodstock festival in 1969 died on monday. ♪ sometimes i feel like i'm in time. >> rich chi haven's family said he died of a heart attack a. public mem mofrl is being planned. they say the singer never fully recovered from kidney surgery he suffered from years ago. he may be most famous for the first performer at woodstock. he launched the two day festival with more than two hours of music. havens was 72-years-old. as always, let us know why

you are awake. we'll read the best responses a little later in the show. still ahead on "way too early," back to boston, a runner literally gave the shirt off his back to save a victim a. possible friendship that may last a lifetime. could chris paul come lieu in the clutch or did the grizzlies steal one? that story to check on your forecast when "way too early" comes back. [ music playing ] ♪

[ agent smith ] i've found software that intrigues me. it appears it's an agent of good. ge has wired their medical hardware with innovative software to be in many places at the same time. using data to connect patients to software, to nurses to the right people and machines. ♪ helping hospitals treat people even better,

while dramatically reducing waiting time. now a waiting room is just a room. [ telephone ringing ] [ static warbles ] [ beeping ] red or blue? ♪ and you'll dump your old duster. but don't worry, he'll find someone else. ♪ who's that lady? ♪ who's that lady? ♪ sexy lady, who's that lady? [ female announcer ] swiffer 360 dusters extender cleans high and low, with thick all around fibers that attract and lock up to two times more dust than a feather duster. swiffer gives cleaning a whole new meaning. and now swiffer dusters refills are available with the fresh scent of gain. that's not much, you think. except it's 2% every year. go to e-trade and find out how much our advice and guidance costs.

spoiler alert: it's low. it's guidance on your terms, not ours. e-trade. less for us. more for you. [ male announcer ] the first look is only the beginning. ♪ ♪ this is a stunning work of technology. ♪ this is the 2013 lexus es and the first-ever es hybrid. this is the pursuit of perfection. then you'll love lactose-free lactaid® it's 100% real milk that's easy to digest so you can fully enjoy the dairy you love. lactaid®. for 25 years, easy to digest. easy to love.

stonehenge. we have stone people out on the plaza here on 30 rock in new york city. we're going to give you your forecast in a second. back to boston, where the moment of crisis led to moments of heroism. the lives of two men, a father from new hampshire and a student at massachusetts college intersengted in a way -- intersected in a way neither one of them want to forget. nbc's ann thompson has the story. >> reporter: they were strangers just a week ago. >> reporter: look at him, he's trying to outfunny me. >> reporter: terror made them fast friends. do you believe in fate? >> i do now. i do today. how can you not? >> he asked me monday morning, i don't think i would have said yes, but, absolutely. >> reporter: it was fwae-year-old rob wheeler who took the shirt off his back and

wrapped it around ron sevard's severely injured leg. >> when i saw what happened, i absolutely needed someone to help me and that someone was rob. >> he stood near the finish line with his wife and daughter to cheer a friend. wheeler wasn't even supposed to run the race a. friend who couldn't make it gave the college senior his spot. >> i hope i don't get banned from the boston marathon for this one. >> reporter: fate helped him, his knee locked up at mile 16 and he crossed the finish line two minutes before the first bomb went off. >> i didn't have a scratch on me. you don't think should i help or not? you are there. you do that. >> reporter: his wife suffered shrapnel injuries, ron will keep the man. now the man who has been the care taker needs care. >> logically, i know there is too much pride. but it's been a difficult week

for me. it's been a difficult week. >> reporter: a radio station gave ron and his family red sox tickets for sunday's game. rob went in his place. >> we're going to be on may 19th attending rob's graduation. we're a part of each other's life now. >> reporter: an unshakeable bond forced by an act that shook the world. >> how great of a guy is rob? hearing that story, at mile 20, a lady helped him get up before the bombings. one of the big stories, of course, is still what's happening in the mid-west, which won't stop, the snow the rain, the flooding. it's by far one of the -- where the worst weather is found this morning. driving interstate 70 from denver across kansas, in minneapolis, you have to clear snow off your car from last night. it's still snow ing in duluth. the illinois river from peoria

southwards to where it meets the mississippi still has to crest over the 234ek9 two to -- the next two to three days. it will be a rainy day even for chicago. for the east coast, no problems, though. still a little chilly. there may be a few showers, especially from boston to providence. you will get drenched. that's an ocean storm. it will miss d.c., philly, baltimore, new york. the southeast, we're actually looking prettifies today. there is that cold, nasty day around kansas city. a chance of seeing snowflakes. minneapolis barely getting up to 40 degrees. denver two a high today of 34 degrees. typically, it should be around 60 degrees in the mid-west. it's a brutal spring, hopefully, may will feel like it. coming up on the morning joe, the suspect in the boston bombings will not be charged as

an enemy combatant. when we come back here, we'll check on sports and huddle around the good old water cooler with louis. and anthony weiner is back on twitter, please, no more pictures. he is tracking his tweets with incredible fervor. maybe they'll have pictures? i don't know. [ music playing ] one...

more... step! [ mom ] my little girl...she loves to help out on big jobs. good thing there's bounty select-a-size. it's the smaller powerful sheet that acts like a big sheet. look! one select-a-size sheet of bounty is 50% more absorbent than a full size sheet of the leading ordinary brand. ♪ i got it! [ mom ] use less with the small but powerful picker upper. bounty select-a-size. [ mom ] use less with the small but powerful picker upper. tired, achy feet we've got your number. i stepped on the machine, and it showed me the pressure points on my feet and exactly where i needed more support. then, i got my number. i tried the free dr.scholl's foot mapping center. in two minutes, i got my foot map and custom number. just step on, and over 2000 sensors measure your foot length, arch type and pressure points to create your own personal foot map. go to drscholls.com/footmap or text feet to 467467 to find a foot mapping center near you. my number is 330, and i found my dr.scholl's custom fit orthotic inserts right there on the machine.

they had just the cushioning and support i need. each insert is designed with three layers to add custom comfort, cushion your pressure points and support your arches. and there's a money-back guarantee. i am a believer. i'm a believer! i'm a believer. find a free foot mapping center near you now. go to drscholls.com/footmap or text feet to 467467 and learn how to save $10 on your orthotics. because life starts with your feet. voting rights and women's rights and the rights of people against discrimination, whether they're african-american, latino, lesbian and gay must be potected. until we have a nation that is really living up to the cree of one nation, indivisible with liberty an justice for all. ♪

now to the wonderful world of sports. day two, clippers and grizzlies. i haven't seen this yet. it was so late. let's jump to the end of the 4th. clock ticking down. that's mike conley with the ball. the easy two-handed slam. we are tied, final seconds. can he finish it? a nice fancy dribble. to the right, oh off the glass before the buzzer. that was a vintage trip ball i have to say. that's why they pay him the big bucks. that's the win. the clippers up 2-0 in the series as they head back to memphis. oh, my brooklyn nets scored 11 points in the third quarter. very sad. they blew out the bulls in the first game. it was a one-point game in the half, second half, thfls all bulls all the time.

joke him noah -- joachim noah. he is playing better. series now tied at 1. to college football, former auburn coach dean shizic is accusing the football program of touting the nba rules. he called it the most scrutinized and sometimes villified program in college football. meanwhile, they said economic fraud benefits football players. think football players get benefits? wow. in an open letter, jay jacobs says an internal investigation found no evidence of wrongdoing. remember the power failure that plunged this year's super bowl darkness for more than half an hour? cbs sports broadcaster name nantz said he wanted to cover it from the field. he says he called his producer

and offered to scale his way down and make it back to the field and help struggling sideline reporters, the key word, they recall struggling. the producer denied his request. they said they wanted nantz in the press box. we wanted video of nantz scaling down to the field. louis, what do have you for us? >> we have big news about america's favorite gameboy app. >> a teaser? >> a little tease action. we better turn to our late night host jon stewart. at times he can be the media's harshest critic. he stopped for cover anl of the boston bombings. >> it is important to give credit where credit is due. props to pete williams who did a great job when he was covering in terror attack. brian williams did a great job, serena williams i thought was very good, robin williams, will

i am, everyone in the entire williams family. >> on a serious note, pete williams did do a fantastic job. >> will i am may have done well, too. >> steve colbert is thanking canadians after they thwarted a train attacks on trains in canada. take a look. the royal canadian police or mountties have thwarted an al qaeda-enspiefrd terrorist attack, with i is quite a feat considering how hard it is for them to go undercover. so, folks, i would just like to say a word to our friend up north, you canadians are a brave and heroic people. if i have said it once, this is the one time i said it. >> he did update their uniforms, those mountties. >> the bearded mounted police. >> i don't know how they do it. >> it's iconic. now, the moment we have all been waiting for, twitter's most infamous twitter makes a return,

former new york congressman anthony weiner sent his first message from a new account yesterday, just about two years after the twitter crotch shot photos forced him to step down. >> what did he say? >> he sent out links to keep new york the capital of the middle clas. >> nap time. >> weiner is, obviously, eyeing a run for mayor of new york city. it may be too soon. just a half day on the site. he's got over 7,000 followers. all i have to say is watch out, christine, consequent on. >> what else you got for us? >> it turns out the old school tetris, doctors found it can help cure lazy eye, bill. it's more effective at strengthening the eye than an eye patch over the good eye. >> what were your tetris skills? >> listen, i was always a good

tetris player. did you have a gameboy growing up? >> i never saw the rubbic's cube and i was horrible at tetris. >> if you played tetris, this song would be stuck in your head all day. that's my gift to you all. still ahead, why are you awake? your e-mails and morning joe is moments away. .asked you why you were awake.

>> we have mike in new york, i am in a hospital bed recuperating from surgery yesterday. >> oh, good luck. >> do pain meds make you bearable? >> your question of morphine drip makes for an interesting show. what else do you have for us? >> harry, forget tetris, i'm playing old school technobowl 5:30 ritual. >> still playing tetris, arntt